MAM
Goafest 2012 to focus on ‘Magic of Ideas’
MUMBAI: The theme of Goafest 2012, to be held on 19-21 April, will be ‘Magic of ideas.‘
In line with the overall festival theme, Goafest 2012 Conclave is themed ‘Ideas for impacting the full circle‘.
Also, some changes are introduced this year, one of them being that for the first time it will encompass the geographical area of the entire South Asian region.
Goafest Committee chairman Arvind Sharma said, “This year, it will be an advertising festival for all in South Asia. We are calling everyone involved in creating ideas from countries across South Asia- Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal – as delegates as well as award entrants.”
Held at the Zuri White Sands in South Goa, the organisers will be holding road shows in countries across South Asia to promote the festival in these markets.
Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI) president Nagesh Alai said, “We have received a very positive response from countries in South Asia. We are looking forward to our road shows to promote the festival in these markets. All South Asian agencies will participate in the main awards show. However, there will also be ‘The best of rest of South Asia‘ in each of the verticals.”
The 2012 edition of the advertising world jamboree is looking at strong client participation. Beyond the Conclave, senior clients are expected to be an integral part of the knowledge seminars.
The Goafest Committee is also looking to attract young client delegates in large numbers. It is offering a special package for under-30 marketers. “We‘re confident that well over 50 major client organisations will take part in the festival this year,” averred Sharma.
Following the trend of the past, this year too AAAI and Ad Club Bombay will be working together in partnership for the fifth year to deliver awards to celebrate creativity.
The Advertising Club Bombay president and chairman of the Awards Governing Council, the joint Advertising Agencies Association of India and Advertising Club Bombay body that runs the awards, Shashi Sinha said, “Last year‘s awards were well received by the industry. The Awards Governing Council will follow the same tight processes with some fine tuning in 2012.”
Over the years, specialist areas like Out of Home, Ambient, Design, Interactive Digital Advertising, Direct, and Integrated Advertising have been growing in importance. In recognition of this phenomenon, in 2012 Abbies at Goafest will have a provision for Grand Prix in all the nine verticals.
It may be recalled that last year Grand Prix were given only in Film, Print and Radio verticals. This year Grand Prix is also being introduced in media awards.
In 2011, over 140 agencies sent entries for Abbies at Goafest. A large number of these were specialist agencies. “Abbies are open to all those who create ideas. They do not have to be Advertising Agencies Association of India or Ad Club members,” Sharma observed.
Consistent with its growing importance, digital will find a place of pride at Goafest 2012. Digital Awards will be held on 20 April as will Media Awards. Design, Direct Awards will also be held on the same day, while the rest of the Creative will be held on 21 April.
Throwing light on the novelty of this year‘s do, Sharma said, “We have made the festival more inclusive and professional from the previous installments. Also, we have worked on tightening the jury process of the awards after taking into consideration the industry‘s feedback from last year‘s awards.”
Brands
CEAT signs Yashasvi Jaiswal as brand ambassador in multi-year deal
The tyre giant is backing one of Indian cricket’s brightest young stars, deepening a sporting association that goes to the heart of its brand strategy
MUMBAI: CEAT Limited has signed a multi-year partnership with Yashasvi Jaiswal, one of Indian cricket’s most electrifying young batters, effective 1st April 2026. The deal adds fresh muscle to the Mumbai-based tyre maker’s long-running bet on cricket as its primary marketing canvas.
Jaiswal’s rapid rise in international cricket made him a coveted name in the sponsorship market. His composure under pressure, consistency across formats and an almost unnerving adaptability at the crease are precisely the qualities CEAT wants consumers to associate with its tyres. The brand has historically aligned itself with cricketers who embody control and dependability, and Jaiswal fits that template with little coaxing.
Anant Goenka, vice-chairman of RPG Group, framed the signing in the language of shared values. “Cricket has always been an integral part of CEAT’s brand journey, and we are delighted to welcome Yashasvi Jaiswal to the CEAT family,” he said. “He is one of the most exciting young talents in Indian cricket today, and the qualities he brings to the game — control, dependability and adaptability — align strongly with the values we stand for as a brand. We believe Yashasvi has the potential to lead across tournaments and formats in the years ahead.”
Jaiswal, for his part, was equally enthusiastic. “I am excited to begin this association with CEAT, a brand that has such a strong legacy in cricket and has been associated with several respected names in the game over the years,” he said. “It is always special to partner with a brand that shares your passion for cricket.”
CEAT, founded in Italy in 1924 and now the flagship company of the US$5.2 billion RPG Group, produces more than 41 million tyres a year and sells across 110 countries. It is the first tyre brand to receive both the Deming Grand Prize from the Union of Japanese Scientists and Engineers and the World Economic Forum’s Lighthouse Designation for its use of fourth industrial revolution technologies — credentials that suggest a company comfortable playing the long game.
And that, perhaps, is why Jaiswal makes such sense. He is 23, already a Test opener for India, and almost certainly just getting started. For CEAT, signing him now is less a sponsorship and more an investment — in a career, and in a cricket-obsessed market, that has plenty of overs left to play.
